Advice on a Taxi Zone Parking Fine

Sydneyswans on 15/12/2018 - 01:20

Long story short i dropped off friend at the train station last month one morning around 6:30am. I inadvertently let him out with the engine running in the taxi zone instead of the drop off zone. The road was empty so i didn't check. Both taxi and drop off zones are next to one another. I then caught a flash of light in my rear view mirror and low and behold saw council officers with cameras in hand. Then in the mail last week obtained a fine for $188 "stand in a taxi zone"

I'm not trying to say what I did was wrong even though at 6:30am well before peak hour it simply looks like revenue raising. It doesn't help that clear signs were put in place the next week either.

But what i want to ask is, what right do council Rangers have to issue infringment notices based on photographing your vehicle? Parking tickets, speeding cameras, pulled over by police I can understand but council rangers don't have the same authority as police.

I don't even think ill bother going to court as my appeal letter was already rejected…

Automotive

Comments

  • ThatKiwiFella on 15/12/2018 - 01:45
    +12

    I don’t know the answer regarding Rangers authority, but rules and regulations are there to be followed, regardless of time.

    If no one is on the road and you’re doing 110km in a 100 zone, you’re still doing 110 in a 100. It’s not revenue gathering, it’s rules that we generally agree to follow as a society

  • D C on 15/12/2018 - 07:02
    +4

    But what i want to ask is, what right do council Rangers have to issue infringment notices based on photographing your vehicle?

    Because they saw you park there, that's all it takes to issue a fine.

    The photograph is merely used as proof when you complain about it.

    Anyway, welcome to over 10 years ago: https://www.smh.com.au/technology/parking-inspectors-snap-20…

  • Euphemistic on 15/12/2018 - 07:11

    I suspect that the council has probably got the legal authority to do what they did. They aren’t stupid (mostly) and know they need to close loopholes or they don’t get to keep the revenue they earn from people who break the rules.

  • whooah1979 on 15/12/2018 - 07:49
    +1

    Revenue from infringements is good. It helps to pay for public services. If the State can't raise revenue then the alternative is for them to increase taxes, levies and stamp duty.

    • D C on 15/12/2018 - 08:56
      -2

      So dumb people doing dumb things is good for society as it funds public works?

      • Cheeper on 15/12/2018 - 09:30
        +4

        No it is not… it is just life as an adult. At home or school penalties were minor or able to just be ignored. In the adult world the penalties are real and painful. Along with the priveliges of adulthood comes responsibility. Don't go crying "revenue raising", stop and assess the situation, what you did wrong and learn from it. It's called life.

        • D C on 15/12/2018 - 10:54
          -1

          Perhaps I should have added a lame smiley to the end of that comment.

          Or maybe it's just the dumb people annoyed at being fined doing the down-voting. Maybe they should buy a lotto ticket to cheer themselves up.

      • whooah1979 on 15/12/2018 - 10:05

        Motorists aren't necessarily dumb. Some just don't give a crap about the road rules and cry when they get pinged.

        Every dollar that these motorists have to pay is one less dollar other law-abiding motorists have pay in taxes.

        • Euphemistic on 15/12/2018 - 13:19

          Motorists aren't necessarily dumb. Some just don't give a crap about the road rules and cry when they get pinged.

          That pretty much fits my definition of dumb. Doing something you know can end in tears and then having a hissy fit when it does.

  • whooah1979 on 15/12/2018 - 08:00
    +2

    what right do council Rangers have to issue infringment notices
    council rangers don't have the same authority as police.

    Victoria
    http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/lga198…

    LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1989 - SECT 117
    Infringement notices

    (1) A local law may provide for a person to be served with an infringement notice specifying a fixed penalty for an offence against the local law as an alternative to a prosecution for the offence.

    S. 117(1A) inserted by No. 32/2006 s. 94(Sch. item 30(4)).

    (1A)An offence referred to in subsection (1) for which an infringement notice may be served is an infringement offence within the meaning of the Infringements Act 2006 .

    (2) The local law must specify—

    (a) the amount of the fixed penalty; and

    S. 117(2)(b) amended by No. 29/2011 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 55.1).

    (b) the person or class of persons who may issue a notice of infringement.

    NSW

    http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lga199318…
    LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1993 - SECT 679
    Penalty notices for certain offences
    679 Penalty notices for certain offences

    (1) An authorised person may serve a penalty notice on a person if it appears to the authorised person that the person has committed an offence under this Act (other than an offence under section 312, 650 or 651), being an offence prescribed by the regulations.

    (2) A penalty notice is a notice to the effect that, if the person served does not wish to have the matter determined by a court, the person may pay, within the time and to the person specified in the notice, the amount of penalty prescribed by the regulations for the offence if dealt with under this section.

    (3) A penalty notice:

    (a) may be served personally or by post, or

    (b) if it relates to an offence involving the use of a vehicle, may be addressed to the owner (without naming the owner or stating the owner's address) and may be served by leaving it on or attaching it to the vehicle.

    (4) If the amount of penalty prescribed for an alleged offence is paid under this section, no person is liable to any further proceedings for the alleged offence.

    (5) Payment under this section is not regarded as an admission of liability for the purpose of, and does not in any way affect or prejudice, any civil claim, action or proceeding arising out of the same occurrence.

    (6) The regulations may:

    (a) prescribe an offence for the purposes of this section by specifying the offence or by referring to the provision creating the offence, and

    (b) prescribe the amount of penalty payable for the offence if dealt with under this section, and

    (c) prescribe different amounts of penalties for different offences or classes of offences.

    (7) The amount of a penalty prescribed under this section for an offence must not exceed the maximum amount of penalty which could be imposed for the offence by a court.

    (8) This section does not limit the operation of any other provision of, or made under, this or any other Act relating to proceedings which may be taken in respect of offences.

  • whooah1979 on 15/12/2018 - 08:15

    infringment notices based on photographing your vehicle?

    http://www.mcleods.com.au/sites/default/files/use_and_effect…

  • Melb69 on 15/12/2018 - 08:54
    +1

    Pay the fine and move on. Take it as a lessoned learned. The annoying thing is that you were helping a friend. This happens to me all the time. The good guy gets pinned. That's how the world works unfortunately.

  • Scab on 15/12/2018 - 08:59
    +2

    what right do council Rangers have to issue infringment notices

    What right do you have to stop in a sign-posted taxi zone?

    Advice

    Pay the fine and don't do it again.

  • Cheeper on 15/12/2018 - 09:39
    +2

    @ chelseafc
    I feel your pain and disappointment. Been there and had the odd parking fine, it is no fun and damn annoying. $188 bux ouch! Sneaky of them to be there at 6.30am but taxi drivers may have complained?
    Can't get out of it and they do have the right to issue a fine. Just be more careful in the future.
    I got out of my last parking fine.. but it was for a place where I had not been or driven for over 10 years!! LOL

    Fines are not just issued for revenue raising… could you imagine if there was no penalty for breaking any law or regulation?

  • Gandalf the Thrifty on 15/12/2018 - 10:08

    Council regularly gives photo fines for no standing/clearway violations as otherwise people could simply drive off and claim they weren't stopped. Same reasoning used here.

  • jjjaar on 15/12/2018 - 11:09

    Just out of curiosity, would you have the same question if you had “inadvertently” stopped in a space for people with disabilities? Or would you have been able to correctly find the drop off zone in that instance?

    Just be thankful your local station has a drop off zone that you have access to.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 15/12/2018 - 13:08
    +3

    I’m glad your appeal letter was rejected

    • Scab on 15/12/2018 - 13:49

      I'm disappointed the fine wasn't more.

  • hm on 15/12/2018 - 16:31

    Love these threads!

    • Baysew on 15/12/2018 - 16:47
      +1

      Then you may also like this thread by same OP

      Parking fine at commuter carpark

      But wait, there could be more -

      I don’t normally fight parking fines if I know im in the wrong but this feels unfair

      • Scab on 15/12/2018 - 18:12

        Wow, some people.

  • Sydneyswans on 15/12/2018 - 17:23

    Seriously guys I know what I did was wrong. My friend was just in a rush to make the train. There is a gap of about 1 metre where the line changes to a set down area. Its just annonying how council people just park themselves on footpaths looking for people break the law.

    • whooah1979 on 15/12/2018 - 17:42
      +1

      council people just park themselves on footpaths

      That's often the best place to catch motorist doing ht wrong thing. Just pay the penalty, don't do it again and stay safe this holiday season.

      • D C on 16/12/2018 - 00:20

        That's often the best place to catch motorist doing ht wrong thing.

        Lol.

    • Scab on 15/12/2018 - 18:13
      +1

      It wouldn't be annoying or an issue if you obeyed the rules.

  • kyle on 16/12/2018 - 08:16

    That happened to me at Caulfield Station years ago.

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